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Merrie Monarch results 2026: Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua takes overall hula title; Maui secures runner up spot

The kāne of Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua, under the direction of Kumu Robert Keano Kaʻupu IV won the overall title at the 63rd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival, in Hilo Hawaiʻi. In an interview at the end of the broadcast, Kaʻupu, who was at a loss of words, said he was in “shock,” but also “grateful and humbled.”